Journeys of the Heart
by IzzyLawliet69
Summary: Hope finally has the woman of his dreams... But they seem to be falling apart from the inside out. Seeking comfort, Hope finds just the man to take him with open arms. SnowxHope YAOI BOYXBOY Don't like don't read! Post game


**Authoress' Note: YAOI! YAY YAOI! Although this is most definitely NOT my favorite pairing (or boyxboy pairing, for that matter…), I decided to make a short, fluffy one shot. It is indeed very short. It may become a more-than-one shot if people like this one. Not really sure though, since I'm not a big fan of this pairing. **

**BOYXBOY LOVE! Don't like, don't read, duh! Fluff warning is in affect. **

**I don't own any of the characters of Final Fantasy XIII, otherwise Lightning and Hope would be doing it by the third chapter :3

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_Screams erupted from the throats of hundreds of innocent people. Agonizing cries of pain rang through the air as citizens of Palumpolum took in the sight of two living, breathing l'Cie. Inside, his heart broke. Shocked faces stared at him with fearful eyes. Everyone shrank back from the danger in front of them, huddling together. In their rush to escape, a little girl dropped her teddy bear on the barren sidewalk. Green eyes took in the stuffed toy with a tinge of guilt. Heart breaking even more, he was about to step forward when the metal arch above his head fell in front of his feet. The loud thud resonated off the cement walls cornering the l'Cie. Behind him, a burly blonde man threw more threats at the crowd, only fueling their anger and cowardice. Decided against his better judgment, Hope stepped forward, grabbing the long-lost bear. The closer he got to the saddened girl, sans her stuffed toy, the more the crowd cowered away. Dully taking notice of a Palumpolian citizen aiming a gun at him, Hope decided to leave the teddy bear on the fallen arch. Fighting the urge to smile and reassure everyone that he wasn't a monster, Hope followed his older counterpart in his escape. Still, the horror-stricken faces from before were glued to his every thought. Knowing he'd caused that fear, he wanted to shoot himself with one of Sazh's guns… if the man was still alive. _

Panting, Hope jerked awake. Breaths harsh, he choked back the scream he wanted to let loose at the reoccurring memory. Every night, his mind would torture him so; it drove him absolutely crazy. When he'd wake, Lightning would be there beside him, holding him tenderly until all the thought of the past disappeared from his tormented brain. But on that night, his beloved had night watch at the new Guardian Corp of Gran Pulse.

Upon the fall of Cocoon, society started anew on the wild, inhabited lands of what was previously called "hell." Despite her bumpy past with the Sanctum, Lightning had been immediately re-accepted into the Guardian Corp. She'd been promoted to Lieutenant in the first well of arrival. Though she complained of the overload of paperwork that came with her new title, she was inwardly thrilled to be held so high amongst so many strong, reliable people. Much to Hope's digress, Lightning's work hours nearly doubled, leaving the two lovers little time to spend with each other.

Yes, Hope finally confessed his feelings to his former mentor. That moment had left Lightning shocked speechless. Hope couldn't help but feel satisfied knowing he'd left the coldest person, _Lightning Farron_, without words. Once she got over the initial shock of Hope's platonic feelings toward her, she'd agreed to give their soon-to-be relationship a shot. And a great shot she had given it. After speculations about Hope's much younger age, she'd realized that at the ripe age of 18, Lightning had no worries about what other would think. Her sister was gleeful at the news, to say the least. Lightning expected that, since Serah was the most supportive of her—except Hope, that is.

Six months into their intense relationship, the burning passion had lessened. Coincidentally, Lightning began to get more missions away from New Bodhum, some for weeks at a time. She also had graveyard shifts more often than not. Being stuck at home, all alone, had not gone over well with Hope. His sexual frustration was beginning to get to him. Each night, he'd grope the empty space in their shared king-sized bed, only to find to warmth. His rock, the one steady person in his life, had been ripped away from him without his consent. He'd voice his concerns to Lightning on multiple occasions, only to receive an answer of, "You're just being silly." But he knew he wasn't the one being silly. Suspicious of what Lightning could have been doing behind his back, with all those male soldiers, appeared unwontedly into his mind every time she told him that she'd be late that day. He trusted her, he really did, but anyone with a brain would have thoughts similar to his after many unexplained disappearances.

Seeking comfort, Hope jumped out of bed and slipped on a clean pair of jeans. Pulling a soft sweater of his bare chest, she set off into the cool night. Sand padded his steps, squishing under his haphazardly tied sneakers. Sighing, he ran a hand through his unruly tresses. Not really thinking into it too much, he wondered what Lightning was doing right then. Was she thinking of him the way the thought of her? Or was she sneaking around, having someone fuck her over and over? Images of Lightning's flushed face and writing body beneath sheets of another man flashed before his eyes. Silent sobs escaped his lips as the pain of what lightning hiss to him finally hit his conscience. His heart split in two, aching for the comfort of someone's arms around him.

Soon, he found himself at the newly built dock of an artificial sea. It has been made sometime during the beginnings of rebuilding of society, to get that homey feeling of Cocoon back to people's lives. In the night sky, stars twinkled brightly. Calm water reflected their light breathtakingly. Hope walked to the end of the boardwalk and sat, his bare feet dangling in the cool water below. He sighed contentedly as he leaned back on the heels of his hands. Out here, his mind was no longer clouded with disturbing thoughts. Instead, a silent serenity filled his body. Peaceful silence nearly lulled Hope to sleep., his eyelids struggling to stay open. The steadily rising form of Phoenix, the Light of Society, kept his jade eyes entranced.

_People are going to be waking up soon, _he thought absentmindedly.

Pushing himself up with his hands, Hope yawned loudly. A woman jogging looked at him strangely as she past by the boy with his arms now stretched above his head. Sighing, he began walking back to his vacant home. He walked but a few yards when he heard someone call his name. Turning around, he saw Snow holding his forgotten shoes in one hand, the other hand raised in a friendly wave. The blonde sauntered to Hope, grin in tact. "Top of the mornin' to ya, Hope." Warmth evident in his voice, Hope felt a chill run up his spine.

Thinking for a moment, Hope remembered that the sun had just barely risen. Curious, he asked, "What are you doing up so early?" While waiting for a response, he took hold of his shoes.

Snow's gloved hand met his stubbly chin, thinking deeply. He sighed and motioned for Hope to follow him. The burly man began walking toward the bar, owned by his friend Lebreau. Inwardly, Hope wondered why Snow would have to take so long to respond to such a simple question.

They reached the bar shortly, each man taking a seat. the stools creaked slightly under their weight, making the silver-haired boy cringe.

"Serah and I are… in a rough patch right now." The sudden conversation startled Hope. He turned in his chair to look at Snow strangely. Didn't the two have the dream relationship? Snow continued, "She's been staying at a friend's house. She got back a bit earlier than normal this morning, so I went for a jog." Icy eyes wouldn't meet Hope's green orbs.

Jade eyes took in the sight of his friend, former enemy. The normally optimistic man sat, defeated, with his head in his hands. He could tell that tears were going to fall any second. Despite his hard exterior, Hope found Snow to be a very emotional and soft person. Choosing his words wisely, Hope asked, "What happened?" Had he asked what started their fight, or who started it, in those words, the blonde probably would have begun sobbing uncontrollably.

Snow momentarily looked up at Hope before placing his head in between his crossed arms once again. Mumbling just loud enough so the boy sitting next to him could hear, he explained, "I don't know what started it. Once Serah got back from crystal stasis, everything was completely different. The chemistry was just… gone, I guess. We started spending less time together; she'd leave the house for hours at a time, and when she'd get back I'd do the same. Then, after a while, she started coming home in the middle of the night, drunk off her ass." He paused, thinking. His hand came up to his stubbly chin. "It didn't start getting this bad until I came home from the bar one day. It was just after sunset when I got home. I found Serah and Maqui in our bedroom, doing… well, you can fill in the blanks. We got into a huge argument, both of us yelling. From then on, she would stay the night at a hotel for a week or so, and come back. We haven't talked at all since the incident with Maqui." Hope placed his hand softly on his shoulder, trying to comfort him as he went on, "All this space has left me with a lot of time to think. And I've realized… maybe I never loved Serah. Even before the l'Cie stuff, maybe I never really loved her."

Not knowing what to say, Hope simply stared at the man before him. Said man refused to meet his eyes, not wanting any hurt show. The silver haired teen could take it no longer. He grabbed Snow's shoulders and spun him around on his stool so that the two could face each other fully.

Their lips met in a flurry of passion. At first, Snow didn't know what to do, or even what was going on. Soon, his mouth began moving against Hope's, delicious friction forming from the synchronization. Tentatively, Snow's darted out of his mouth and licked Hope's bottom lip, pleading for entrance. His request was granted almost immediately; his tongue plundered the warm caverns of the young man's mouth. Mapping out every crevice, Snow relished in the taste that was purely Hope—not sickly sweet, but sugary nonetheless. He never wanted to part from his younger companion, despite their bumpy past. Out of lust, he raised a hand to pull Hope's face closer to his own. The blonde nearly pulled the younger into his lap before he remembered their location.

_No use in putting on a free show, _Snow reasoned.

Reluctantly, Hope pulled away. A string of saliva connected the two physically; at heart, they created a bond never to be erased.

"I love you, Snow."

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**Authoress' Note: That was a very sad ending indeed… Anywho, I started reading this pairing because I read all of the LightningxHope stories on FanFic (No joke—all genres, all ratings… I have no life), so I chose a random pairing that happened to be yaoi! I prefer YujxHope, though. (I've come to the realization that Hope can be paired with just about anyone, except maybe Sazh.) I might write one of those later. Anywho, I still haven't finished the game yet… Still on Chapter 11! I shall proceed soon, I swear!**

**I'm thinking about posting a one shot every two weeks, or every week and a half. (So I can be distracted from Love is Like a Square, no matter how much I love it... Cuz it drives me up the wall sometimes.)**

**ALSO! I wanted to say SORRY if any of my pronouns are confusing with unclear antecedents. We're currently learning how to fix these issues in creative writing class! I hope to improve greatly! :3**

**Reviews please! Constructive criticism always welcomed!**

**Ja ne! :3**


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